¶ A warning against the dangerous practices of Papists, and specially the partners of the late Rebellion.  
¶ Gathered out of the common fear and speech of good subjects.  
Vox populi Dei, vox Dei est.  
Seen and allowed.   

THe state of this Realm considered, and specially such accidents touching the same, as late troubles have ministered, do make it daily more and more evident how precious and how dear a jewel is the safety of the queens most excellent Majesty our most loving and beloved sovereign Lady. 
The Q. precious.  Compare the time of her most noble and gracious government, with ages long ago passed, and specially with the miserable and dangerous days immediately preceding her most happy & comfortable reign: call to memory the weakness & perils wherein the common weal stood, before her highnesses coming to the crown: weigh the infinite benefits, both bodily and ghostly, that the whole realm and all her subjects have and do daily receive by her means: think upon the grievous and unspeakable miseries that we all shallbe like to sustain by loss of her unvaluable presence: it shall be plain that he is wilfully blind that can not see, he is wickedly malicious that will not acknowledge, he is obstinately stone hearted that shall not with sorrow and trembling deeply imprint in careful heart, those motions and thoughts that such consideration shall lay before him. 
The Queen's good government.  Remember the quiet of conscience, the comfort of true serving of God, the freedom of the Realm, the deliverance from foreign thraldom of souls, the escape of the heavy yoke of strange dominion, the recovery of wealth, the benefit of peace, the common and equal distribution of justice, the familiar cherishing of Nobility, the good preserving and love of the Commonalty, the mutual and tender kindness at home, the amity and awe abroad, the sweet enjoying of all these commodities: match herewith the danger and fear of losing them: how can it then be, but that the mind shall be marvelously distracted? Great and full of diversities are the sits of a passioned lover, but yet greatest where reason ruleth least. far greater to a good mind must be the pangs of consideration in this case, but yet greatest where reason ruleth most. The silly lover is transported (as they complain poor souls in their ditties) sometime with joys of his enjoying, sometime with fear of his foregoing, there is no mean or order of his excessive affection, and all is because the abused creature hath set his felicity in a wrong conceit: But if such vain, short, repentable, and feeble delight of fancy have such force upon the mind of man, how much more ought the deep, wise, natural, and true impression of the eternal comfort of soul, the good and safe estate both of the common weal and of the private haviour of himself, and of those things and persons that he holdeth dearest, yea and of his posterity for ever, work more mighty, violent, and continuing effects in the mind of an honest good man, that setteth his thought upon just and assured grounds? All these contemplations can not but fill a good Christians and a good subjects eye with sight and knowledge, how unestimable a treasure our Queen, our I say Queen Elizabeth, is to the Realm of England, 
Resest solliciti plena timoris amor.  and the same can not but pierce his heart with strong fear and care for her preservation, so far as surely it were able (as in the dumb borne son of Croesus) to break the strings of a tied tongue, to draw speech out of the most barbarous and rudest subject, to cry out at her highnesses peril, and with such noise as he is able to make, though it were but as a goose of the capitol, to give warning to the watchmen of the tour of all our safeties. This hath moved me to forget how unskilful and how unapt I am to treat of matters so far above me, and only to remember how meet it is for all men to think of those things that touch them so nearly. Neither do I altogether allow of the mannerliness of that good fellows courtesy, that would not unlock a gate to the king, but made the king to stay there, while he ran two miles to fetch a more worshipful man to open it. And far more discommendable had such good manner been, if the king had then been nearly and eagerly pursued by an enemy. When traitorous affection so boileth in subjects hearts, as it can not be contained in stomach, but must break out into open rebellion, when the very humour that feedeth such treason is so strong and so angry, that neither lenitives of clemency and bounty can allay it, nor purgatives of honesty and loyalty can expel it, it is high time to look to the health of the body. When the fury of treason outrageth so far, 
A figure of the Northern rebellion.  that it overfloweth all the banke● of discretion, and all the bounds of remembering their own peril: when they draw every ambitious popular wit into their fellowship, like an eating canker or infecting sore: when they can not tarry the advantage of their own times, the ripeness of their devices, the readiness of their aids, the fitness of seasons, nor other circumspections of policy: when the stay or severing of their heads can not hold them, but that, like an Adder when her head is cut of, they will still be wriggling with their tails and threaten a stinging, when being vanquished, they yet find some new resorters upon old hopes: surely it must needs appear to be a wonderfully malicious poison of treason that possesseth them, and so a great necessity to know who be envenomed with it, the causes of the disease, 
Sero medicina paratur, cum mala per longas invalüere moras.  and the signs of the infection, that convenient cure may be applied, or for the uncurable some good order may be provided, that the head and heart may be preserved. It is now high time therefore, when traitors themselves have given warning of their own treasons, to search the confederacy, yea and as miners follow the signs every way as they spread in the ground till they be guided to the trunk or body of the metal, so to follow the appearances of suspicions and likelihoods, till it appear plainly what light made the shadow, or what fire raised the smoke. It is not good tarrying till the flame mounting in the air above the house teppe, the principals and pillars consumed, and each part so embraced with fire that no aid dare approach, do plainly declare the whole building past hope of recovery. Fires oftentimes negligently raked up, sticks ends not thoroughly quenched, embers not regarded, a candles end not looked unto, have brought many an honest man to pitiful calamity. I like therefore better the honest wisdom of those that study how the Queen may stand and not fall, than the reaching policy of those that devise how themselves may stand when the Queen is fallen. God preserve her highness long, for her falling would make a Samsons post with us all, yea and rightly a Samsons post, for no doubt it would bruise them too, that be busiest to pull it down. I have thought good therefore, as a faithful subject, staying my whole trust of well doing upon the well continuing of this blessed estate, without other respect, or rather prospect beyond it, to disclose in brief collection of the common brute of good and honest men, that love this estate and be careful for it, so much as I have noted, or rather common experience & evident truth hath opened, concerning the dispositions of sundry dangerous things, doings, and persons, against God, the Queens, highness, the Realm and her most noble government, to the intent that upon laying abroad of their faults, themselves may be reform, or her highness by warning so armed, as they may be less dangerous, that is to say, more restrained and disabled, and her majesties true subjects more strengthened and emboldened.  
Surely all true Christians and all true English subjects ought to believe, 
True couclusions.  and may well know, that these are true conclusions.  
First that every papist, that is to say, every one that believeth all the Pope's doctrine to be true, is an enemy & traitor, against the majesty and honour of God, against the crowns and dignities of all kings and temporal princes, and against the wealth and safety of all civil kingdoms, policies, and common weals.  
Item that every such English Papist is a traitor to the Queen of England, and hateth her life, wisheth the alteration of her government, and liveth in hope of an other world, which even by an ordinary byword, it is said that themselves do call their Golden day.  
Item that every such English Papist is a special traitor to the realm of England, and hath no regard into what slavery, conquest, subjection to foreign tyranny, dishonour or other misery it be thrown, so that their false idolatrous and superstitious religion be restored, with liberty to spoil and murder, without respect of dignity, age, sex, learning, reverence, honesty, or nature.  
Item that no clemency, gentleness, benefits, or loving dealing, can win a Papist while he continueth a Papist, to love her majesty, how much so ever he dissemble, nor bring them to ascribe their safety to any her benefits, nor to any praise of her own goodness, but either to their own dissimulation, practice, and falsehood, which some call cunning, or to the holiness of their cause, for whom God forsooth so provideth as his anointed ones may not possibly by any law, or at least execution of law, be touched: where in deed, if they continue still unpunished, it must be thought that God so purveyeth▪ because the punishments of this world are not sufficient for them. But yet in the mean time it serveth to make them unexcusable, by whose default so dangerous wolves remain in the flock.  
Item that Papistry hath this property of heresies, contrary to the nature of God's truth: that is, to be thrown down with adversity, and to flourish with indulgence and lenity.  
Item that as it is reason that the owner of a shepebiter mastiff, knowing his dog's quality, should either hang up his dog, or pay for the sheep that his dog worieth, so those that have notorious Shepebiters, murderers of God's flock, in their custody and power, must make their account, either to hang up or otherwise dispatch their curs, or else to answer to God for the blood of his sheep, both such as they have destroyed, and such as they may destroy by any possibility hereafter.  
Item that all advises to great personages, to persuade neutrality or an entertaining of contrary sides in religion with uncertainty of countenance and favour, is the way to supplant assured safety, to make sure enemies and unsure friends, to Ile open to parasites & traitors, to be unknown to other, and to be unable to discern what other be to them.  
Item that timorous policy is the worst policy that may be, what soever the cause be, good or bad, and worst of all it is in best causes: wherein as her majesty hath neither want of constant magnanimity, nor cause of fear, so is it meet that her enemies have no stomach to contemn her, nor by excess of clemency to misconstrue her goodness as lack of daring.  
Item that by the great novelties and alterations of times that have happened within our memory, there is risen a common policy among people, to join to strong and safe sides, whereby they are aliened from the fearful, and therefore it is to be provided, that there be a boldness of safety to serve the Queen truly and zealously, and an assuredness of danger to her enemies.  
Item by boldness and sharp execution upon enemies, the friends are encouraged, and contrariwise if the dangerous traitor be not removed, the true subject may be left in peril, and thereby the rest of good subjects disabled, or at lest discouraged to venture so far again, and the freedom of consultation in the mean time for preserving the prince impeached.  
Item that it is truly said Improbum hominem praestat non accusasse quam absoluere. It is better not to meddle with a dangerous naughty man, than to let him go: for what were it else than to set a house a fire and run away by the light?  
Item that occasions and fit opportunities overslipped are not recoverable.  
Item that many times it is as small an offence to give a warrant to kill a true man, as to pardon a murderer or traitor, as a wise shepherd will rather give leave to a hunter to kill the best lamb in his flock, than to let go a fox or a wolf.  
Item that the lives of kings and princes are the lives and souls of their kingdoms and common weals, whereby they are to consider that in being prodigal of their own safeties in excess of clemency to traitors, or in security of exposing their persons to perils, Largiuntur ex alieno, they be liberal of that which is not their own to give.  
Item that no traitor is more perilous, than he that wresteth the law to raise an underminer of the prince's crown to her danger.  
Item that he is justly to be suspected that shall practise with any vain devise of pacification, or coloured clemency, to rebator blunt the edge of the prince's sword, or so to tie it in the scabbard that it may not be drawn for her defence, as if such qualifiers, hiders, and clokers, should seek to abuse that most reverend and holy sign of majesty to no good end or other end than God ordained it.  
Item that God can not well take it, if he be less zealously served than the devil, that there be less fervency showed by truly learned princes for advancing of God's honour against his enemies, than hath been by abused and deceived princes for setting up of the kingdom of the devil and Antichrist.  
Item that God's commandements of placability and forgiveness extend to our own enemies, but not to his enemies, against revenge of private displeasures, and not against severity & sharp execution in cases of God's honour and common weals: wherein is always to be noted, that the Prince is so not a private but a public person, as no attempt against her safety can or aught to be accounted a private cause.  
The full proof and larger explication of these conclusions, though it be easy, as a thing which not only all convenientie of reason affirmeth, but also daily experience layeth before all men's eyes that have a free consideration not accumbered with corrupt zeal and affection, so yet surely were it a meet thing to be handled by some such man, as could add thereto such ornaments of speech, such strength of eloquence, and pith of persuasion, as might not only be understood & believed, but be felt & movel Here any most excellent orators special-vertues might be well employed. A fit argument sure it were to show wit and knowledge, but specially truth and good meaning. But till some fit person shall take in hand to bestow his more profitable travail that way, let us yet for unlading of some of the abundance of our entire devotion for God's truth, for her majesty, and our country, have some remembrance of the particularities thereof.  
For the first article that defineth papists, that accuseth them of treason to God, to kings, and to realms, if it be well weighed it can not but quickly be seen for undoubted truth. Though it be true, that every one that holdeth any one error or article of doctrine that the Pope teacheth, varying from the word of God, is in that article a papist, as for example the heresy of transubstantiation, 
Not all Papists traitors.  the blasphemy of popish mass, or any such other, yet count I not every such a one wholly a papist within compass of this article, that is, under title of a traitorous Papist, but such a one as holdeth all the Pope's doctrine to be true, that the Roman church erreth not, that it hath rightfully such superiority and primacy in others kingdoms and diocesces as it hath proudly claimed & usurped, and that Christians are bound to refer their faith unto it, and to hang upon the Pope's determinations. Many men otherwise good & honest subjects are not yet purged of all errors wherewith Rome hath infected them, & must have their time to be better instructed. But those that are perfect Papists, 
Which Papists, be traitors  that publish the Pope to be head of the church (which yet in deed is no member of the true church) and would have us with an implicit & bond faith, to depend upon that sea, & for that reason will refuse by all lawful means to confess the right of Princes in their kingdoms over all their subjects, they be perfect traitors in deed, yea and the learned sort of them be wilful heretics & traitors. 
Learned Papists wilful traitors.  For though in the dark times, when controversies of religion were not brought into searching, the stream of error carried men away without doubting, yet since that by debating the light hath been evidently opened, and men have sought and thoroughly examined the matter, there is no learned papist but he knoweth he maintaineth error, and in defending and spreading the same he defendeth and spreadeth, and so directly, advisedly, wilfully, and maliciously, putteth in execution to his uttermost power, high treasons against God, against kings, and kingdoms.  
Against God I call them treasons, 
Treason offence against majesty.  though our law, the judge of civil treasons in England, have no such name, because the nature of the offence so properly receiveth that title, and also the usual name of high treason in iure gentium, in the common law of nations, and in other languages, doth so plainly express it. high treasons are in their true nature, offences against high majesty, that is, either to the destruction of the persons, or denial and defacement of the just dignities and authorities of those that bear the name of majesty, and to whom the highest duty of obedience faith and allegiance extendeth. And therefore is treason called Crimen lesae maiestatis, the crime of violating or abating of majesty. Greater majesty than the majesty of God can not be, therefore higher and verier treasons then against God can not be. 
Treason against God.  His person can not be destroyed, or touched: his dignity, honour, glory, and authority, may be slandered and blasphemed, and his subjects, that is, mortal men, may be withdrawn from their due obedience, and drawn into rebellion against him. And this I say is high treason to God, to violate or abate the majesty of God: and this do papists. For though God be king of the whole world, and so is rightly called the Lord by universal name, yea even of devils: yet is his church his more proper and certain kingdom, whereby he is more restrainedly and aptly called our king and our father, and so more fitly called our head in respect of the body, which is his church and not the rest of the world. In this kingdom his highest dignity is to be the only head thereof, which the Papists take from him, and derive it to their Pope. And though with gloss they excuse it, that their Popes take it not from God, 〈…〉 under God, as his vicar's, yet must they be admonished, that without sufficient deputation and warrant from the king himself, (which the Pope hath not) the subject to thrust himself into governance of the kingdom is high treason, where he that being a stranger would seek to conquer it, were but an enemy. And so is it rightly to be said that the Turk is to God an enemy, and the Pope is to God a traitor, and all his adherentes principal traitors, for treason admitteth no accessaries.  
Also one great part of God's majesty standeth in making of laws, to govern his kingdom, that his sheep shall hear his voice and no strangers. Against which point of majesty, as it is high treason to publish laws and proclamations in civil kings names against their will, so are papists high traitors in publishing and receiving laws, proclamations, and decrees from a climbing and usurping tyrant to bind God's subjects the church, without the will and warrant of God.  
Also rebelliously to burn, destroy, tread down, or deface in great contempt, the commissions and laws of temporal kings, is an high offence against majesty, and therefore papists, that dishonour and discredit the word of God, and destroy the books thereof, are high offenders against his majesty.  
Also high treason it is for the subject to levy war agayst his sovereign, and to destroy his land, his faithful subjects, and true liege people. And therefore Papists in their persecuting and murdering of Christians with open hostility, have showed themselves high traitors to the universal King of Christians.  
Also where the counterfeiting of princes hands and coins, and the clipping and abating the value of their true coins, and the uttering of such forged and abated coin, is high treason: what less name than high treason against God, can we give to papists, that have counterfeit the writing and coins of God, and given out false commissions, false patents and false charters in stead of his word, that clip from the dignity and sufficiency of his word, that have coined false heresies, abated true doctrines, & so do publish and utter them.  
Also if corrupting and counterfeiting of Prince's seals, and giving out or annexing his seals to false charters of their own in the Prince's name, be high treason: are they not high traitors to God, that corrupt his seals his Sacraments, and set forth new private institutions of their own, as Masses, and such baggages, in stead of them, I mean not only the inventors and forgers, but also the receivers, publishers, utterers, and carriers abroad of such abominable untruths?  
Also what greater offence against Majesty can be, than to command the Prince's subjects not to believe the Prince's word or writing, nor any thing that shall pass by his authority, without such offender's confirmation and allowance: And that the Prince's word and writing sufficeth not to direct the subjects duty, without such offender's explication and additions: And that such offenders may add at their pleasure: And that such additions are to be holden equal with the Prince's word: And that the Prince's word must ever be so taken as such offenders expound it, & none otherwise? Then must the Papists, in their discrediting the word of God, in their dishabling it as not sufficing to the instruction of our faith, for the salvation of our souls▪ in their claiming false and undue authority to their traditions, and in their restraining the word of God to their expositions though directly against the word & against the spirit of God, needs be accounted high traitors against God's majesty.  
Also the greatest honour and dignity that God hath and challengeth ielously to himself among men, is the redemption and justification of man. The Papists, which draw that from God to man, from grace to works, as they are most heinous and blasphemous traitors to God in denying his free graciousness therein, so are they most arrant thieves to Christian men in robbing them of the benefit thereof.  
Also if to deny that the Prince ought to enjoy the style, kingly name, and dignity of the realm, with all pre-eminences to they same belonging, be high treason: are the not high traitors to God, that take from God the name of our only justifier, and from Christ the title of our only redeemer and Advocate, and from the holy ghost the office and style of our only true and sufficient Instructor?  
Also seeing that to defile the kings wife is high treason, whereby the succession of his crown may grow to dishonour and oncertaintie: are not Papists then high traitors that have made the church the spouse of God, to commit so many fowl spiritual whoredoms, with idolatries, heresies and yielding herself to be abused of strangers?  
So appeareth it evidently that, if violating of majesty: if dening the king to be the only king and head of his own realm: if usurping supreme governance without the kings assignment: if making and receiving laws and proclamations, in the kings name, without his warrant: if destroying and defacing in contempt, the kings charters: if levying war against the king, within the realm, and murdering his subjects: if counterfeiting the kings coin or seals: if annexing his seals to false writings: if abating his coin, by clipping or otherwise: if utterance of such forged, or abated ware: if discrediting the Prince's word and authority, and advancing their own above it: if denying the kings right to his kingly office: if taking from him his royal style name & dignity: if corrupting his wife with adultery: if any of these, if all these together, be high treason: Papists are high traitors to the majesty of almighty God.  
But these perhaps may be thought to be but allegorical or figurative treasons, (so little the matters of God do move us) and in the eye and consideration of the law of the realm they are none other, yet are they in very deed truly treasons & offences against the highest majesty, 
kings should have care of God's honour.  even the same majesty by whom kings do reign and are upholden, and the same majesty for which kings ought to be careful, if they will have him to provide for their majesties. Yea they are the very sedes of civil & temporal treasons. For undoubtedly, as no man breaketh out into actual sin against men, that hath not first yielded to an assent to offend God: so no man proceedeth so far as to commit treason against the Prince, 
Papistry sede of civil treason.  that hath not first conceived a traitorous mind to rebel against God. And as of ordinary course and natural necessity it followeth, that full and strong sedes, thrown in ground fit for them, cherished with convenient moisture, and comfortable heat of nourishing son, must rankly grow and bring forth herbs or weeds of their proper kind: so these traitorous sedes laid up in fat soil of Papists bosoms, if they be watered with wealth and indulgence, and shined upon with the cheerful glimpses of opportunities, will surely bring forth the fruits of their own quality, treasons against princes. 
Heresies punished by temporal law.  And for this respect, other offences that have in times past been wrongfully supposed to be of this nature, have been also punished by the laws of the realm. In ancient order of Letes, and other courts, they have been inquired upon before treasons done to the prince. They have had their several forms of punishments, yea in some cases they have been, and in some places and causes they yet be, exempted from the Prince's power to pardon. They have been termed by special names of heresies and blasphemies: and their punishments, beside temporal pains, have been extended in opinion to the further revenge of the eternal Majesty, whose crown and dignity they have been thought to violate. And surely, if in discerning which were heresies and blasphemies, they had not erred: if they had not mistaken, and executed the true man for the traitor: the general care which was pretended to maintain truth and the church, stood well with the duty of Christian Princes, as viceroys and deputies justly zealous for their superior or rather supreme Lord king of kings and Lord of lords, the true monarch of whole universality. And though the same late & new deceived antiquity swerved from true judgement of the persons and causes, I can not well see how that should be a warrant to disburden Princes of imitation of that zeal, when it is once joined with right understanding, no more than the wrongful hanging of a true man by mistaking him for a thief or a murderer, aught to be a discharge for the very thief or murderer, when he is afterward taken in deed. And without doubt more wholesome and profitable it were for these heretical traitors against God, 
Mercy to punish Papists.  I mean the Papists themselves, to be in this life, by some sharper law and execution driven to repentance, than to be repried or reserved to arraignment before the last judge, whose knowledge can not be decived, whose iusties can not then be entreated, whose execution hath neither end nor measure: and so a little more hardness with them a while, would be a very beneficial and merciful sharpness.  
But now let us come to that part that toucheth men more nearly than any love of God. 
Papists traitors to kings and kingdoms.  Let us see how they be traitors to kings and kingdoms. If we have mind to see that Papists, which hold all the Pope's doctrine, to be true, are traitors in deed to kings and kingdoms, it behoveth to call to mind what be the Pope's doctrines, doings & practices concerning the crowns of kings and states of kingdoms. Pope's have challenged, and Papists that affirm the Popes to be free from error, 
Traitorous doctrines of Popes for kings and kingdoms.  their doctrine to be true, and their authority to be lawful, do also hold that it is their due which they challenge, that is, to have the authority of both sword, spiritual and temporal, the one in exercise, the other in power: to have the disposition of all the crowns of Christian Princes: to have the judgement of deciding to whom the right of any kingdom belongeth: to have power for disobedience to him, or by his discretion, to transfer the crowns of kings to whom he will: to have lawful power, to give kingdoms to prey, spoil, and conquest, to such as can invade and possess them: to have power to assoil and discharge Christian subjects, from faith and allegiance to their lawful and natural sovereign Lords, Kings, and Princes: to have power to give leave, yea commandment, blessing, reward, forgiveness of sins, and heaven itself, to subjects to rebel against the Prince, to depose the Prince, disherit and destroy him: that there is of common right, and by the mere law of God, reserved to the Pope a special subjection, resort, appellation, and obedience of one great part of all Prince's subjects, yea and of all subjects of all Princes in one great part of their causes. Be not these heinous treasons? And these can not be denied to be the natural and very treasons of all Papists, that is to say, of all that depend upon credit of the Pope, that hold him for God's vicar, for Peter's successor, for whom Christ prayed that his faith should not fail, that apply to him this title ad quem persidia non potest accedere, to whom falsehood can not reach, that hold him for a constant rock, an assured preacher of truth, an apostolical man, if he be not some other thing than a man, to whom our belief is bounden, with such other false titles, wherewith Popes themselves have garnished themselves and their parasites have overladen them.  
Consider the ordinary practice of Popes and Papists according to these doctrines, 
Traitorous doings of Papists against kings and kingdoms.  and than shall you see, that from the most high treason which the Pope committed against his sovereign Lord the Emperor, the renting and destruction of the Empire, all the victories and successes of the Saracens & Turks against Christendom, all the tearing away of most noble and large kingdoms and provinces from the body of Christianity, all the subduing and thralling of infinite Christian souls to Mahomete and the devil, all the deposings, murderinges, turmoyllinges, civil wars, debates between Christian Princes, sheddings of Christian blood, indignities and oppressions of Christian kings and Emperors, conquests, rebellions, and mischiefs, for these v. C. years and above, are wholly or chief to be imputed to the treasons of Popes and Papists. All sometime most learned and noble Grecia yet lamentably ruth it. All Africa the mother of most constant Martyrs feeleth it. The German Emperors, with most heinous reproaches and foul treading in their necks, may not forget it. The kings of France and Spain, both at home in their native kingdoms, and abroad, as well in Naples, Sicily, Lombardie, as in other territories of Italy and of the Empire, have sharply felt it. The Lords and states of Italy have been daily and long shaken with it. The kings of England have been poisoned, whipped, beaten with rods, murdered, deposed, the land given in conquest, interdicted, made tributary, rob, peeled & scraped of their treasure, brought into slavish subjection, deprived of honour and estimation, every way most villainously abused. To let pass the elder times and further realms, let us speak nothing of deposing of old Emperors, erecting of new, setting the son against the father, the subject against his Lord, making them come barefooted themselves with their wives and children long waiting with submission in cold frosts, treading in their necks, spurning of their crowns, and a thousand such abominable prides of Popes and slaveries of Princes. Let us deal, but with ourselves, and with our own feeling, knowledge, and memory. The accursing of king john, the receiving him vassal, the making his Realm subject and feudatory to the Pope, the arming his subjects against him, the poisoning of him at length, the giving the land to the French kings son, the invading thereof by the Dolphin of France, his so long possessing a great part of it, the rebellion of the Barons to take the Frenchmens part, all the mischiefs that fell in all this while, were they not the good works of Popes and Papists? The great division of the two noble houses of York and Lancaster, which cost so much English blood, that there remaineth no house of high or mean nobility, that hath not smarted for it, so many fought fields within the Realm, so long and so great uncertainty which side were true men and which were traitors, and for how many days or hours they should be so esteemed, such desolation and miseries, to whom are they to be imputed, but to the Popish Clergy and Papists, and among other to Thomas Arundel archbishop of Canterbury that traitorously practised the deposing of his lawful sovereign Lord king Richard the second? But come yet to later times. How was the queens majesties most noble father assaulted by the Pope and Papists? His Realm was interdicted and given away to him that could catch it. Legates, and one notable English traitor, were sent about to persuade Christian Princes, to invade England, to destroy and depose King Henry, and to take the Realm in reward for their labour. When Charles the late Emperor was setting forward against the Turk, Cardinal Pole being sent by the Pope, made a solemn Oration to him, which is yet extant in Print, to persuade the Emperor to turn his prepared power from invading the Turk, and to bend it against King Henry the viii. as one worse than any Turk. What turmoil was raised then by the Northern rebels against him, whereof some by his clemency (a good example) have lived to this day to raise a new rebellion? How troubled they her majesties most excellent brother with unhappy seditions? How vexed they and how endangered they the Realm and the Queens own person in her sister's time? What might Charles the Emperor have done for recovery and enlarging of Christendom, if his force that way intended had not by Popish practice been perverted sundry ways and times, to the shedding of Christian blood and wasting of Christendom, and to the overthrow of his victorious course? What tempests hath the late conspiracy of Trent blown up in Christendom, that can not yet be quieted, and all because the Pope hath instilled an opinion into his Papists, 
Pope teacheth to keep no faith.  that Princes, if he dispense with them, are not bound to keep faith and promise, no not the word of a king, whereby no peace can yet be assured? Whereof yet riseth one good admonition, to trust them no more, and to be well aware of them, and specially to think of this one particular, that wicked persons which have given occasion of dangerous rebellions against the queens majesty their chief and only secure and refuge, will never be withholden by any respect from attempting or procuring to be attempted any most high and heinous treason and mischiefs, against our sovereign Lady's safety, if avantageable opportunity may serve them, so long as such persons are infected with Papistry, and can think the Pope able to pardon or rather willing to reward them, yea so far as they shall suppose themselves not only to win the kingdom of England thereby, but also the kingdom of heaven. It is perilous to think what traitorous rage may do, being armed with drunken superstition. It is a sore thing to consider the impotentie of ambition, specially when it is joined with the fury of reasonless love. The common experience is, how dangerous those knots of thieves be where there is a woman in the company. Thus is it plain, that for as much as the Pope claimeth such wrongful usurpation and tyranny over kings and realms, 
Lady of North.  and sith Papists hold that he saith true, and claimeth but his right, and can not err in discerning it, all such Papists are traitors to all kings and kingdoms.  
As for the second conclusion, 
English Papists traitors to the Q.  which accuseth English Papists of treason to the queens majesty, it is sufficiently proved, for that it is as a particular within a general, included in the former. Yet for the special confirmation of it, it hath certain private and several reasons. It is well known how they sought her grace's death in her sister's time: what practices, what fetches were used for it: what examinations, what searchinges, were to find colour of her destruction, yea (if it be true, which is credibly said) how far without colour they proceeded, if God had not miraculously kept her, to the preservation of this Realm and the comfort of whole Christendom. But to make some demonstration of their hatred to her majesty by reason, and after to descend to the examples and practices, let us examine the causes.  
Whereas the Papists hold, that the Pope is head of God's universal Church, and that such authority as the Queen claimeth in England over ecclesiastical persons and in ecclesiastical causes, as due to her highness in right of her crown, is not due to her, but belonging to the Pope, in so saying they must say that her majesty claimeth an unjust tyrannical power. And whosoever shall so say, though not in the same syllables, is an unjust and an errant traitor, and can not love her that hath pulled down him whom they call head of their Church.  
Also where Papists affirm the church of Rome to be the true Catholic church of God, and that, as out of noah's Ark there was no safety from drowning, so out of the Roman Church there is no escape of damnation: is there any hope, that they so thinking can or do love her highness, that hath dismembered them from the body of that church, and plucked them out of that Cocklorelles boat?  
Where Papists hold the heresy of transubstantiation, and the bread to be Christ's natural body, the blasphemy of Popish Mass to be an availing sacrifice for quick and dead, the Pope's pardons to be able to deliver them from hell and damnation: 
trajan.  is it likely that they love her whom they think to deprive them of so great treasures?  
Where the Papists hold our whole form of serving of God, 
Papists take not the Q. for Queen.  which form the queens majesty hath prescribed and delivered to her subjects, to be schismatical, our laws in spiritual things no laws, our sacraments no sacraments, our Bishops no Bishops, our Clergy no Clergy, surely they think our Coronations no Coronations, our Queen no Queen, or at least they are sorry she is so.  
Where Papists believe a Purgatory, and that Masses, Diriges, and such other gainful merchandise of the Popish Clergy, be beneficial for their friends souls and their own, and do in the mean time imagine that their fathers, grandsires, grandames, wives, and other friends souls lie frying in unexplicable torments, and the queens majesty holdeth from them the only mean to release them: think you such persons grudge not at her exceedingly?  
Where the Pope hath accursed the queens majesty as an heretic and schismatic, all those Papists which suppose that the Pope having the disposition of God's sentence and the thunderbolt of excommunication in his hand, can not err, do also suppose that the queens highness (our Queen Elizabeth I mean) is not lawful Queen of England, for so must all Papists hold, that hold the Pope to say true, for the Pope doth not so accept her.  
And true it is that the refusal of the oath for the acknowledging her majesties supremacy over ecclesiastical persons and in ecclesiastical causes, 
Papists refuse the oath, because they believe not the Q. title to the crown.  is for very good reasons to be suspected, that for the most part it is but coloured with pretence of conscience for ecclesiastical causes, and to be thought that in very deed it dependeth chiefly upon this point, that sith her Majesty hath been suspended, excommunicated and declared out of the church by the Pope, they think her Majesty not lawful Queen of England. For the like example or prejudice have the like Papists given heretofore at many times, and namely when Elizabeth Barton, that hypocritical harlot, sometime called the holy maid of Kent, with whose false traitorous practices were foully spotted and entangled More and Fisher the new romish saints, published as a revelation from God, a traitorous article suggested unto her by popish Priests and Monks, 
In the statute of her atte●●nder.  with whom she carnally and filthily lived, that the Queen's Majesties most noble father after a time by them limited, was not King of England one hour in the sight of God. The like interpretation did Papists make of king john. And Papists have published that Gospelers, whom they call heretics, ought not to have any office among God's people, much less a kingdom.  
And this point is well to be considered that they which take from the queens majesty the supremacy over ecclesiastical persons and causes, do transfer the same jurisdiction to the Pope, for they never yet bouch saved to give it to any other▪ and I am sure that after so many parables and examples of bees and beasts and other things, they will not now have any particular church heedless and destitute of a supreme governor, either universal like a monarch as they would have it, or special under God of each kingdom or dominion as God's good disposition hath sorted it. If then the Pope have in their opinion any ecclesiastical jurisdiction in England, he must have Ius excommunicandi lawful power and authority to excommunicate in England, without which the ecclesiastical power can not stand. Which power if he justly have, and hath excommunicate and accursed the Queen, either by special name or generally under title of heretics of which sort he esteemeth her, then hath he therein done pro suo iure as he lawfully might do. And this being so supposed true, 
Papists draw obedience from the Q.  then is it good to consider what is taken for God's law and the law ecclesiastical De vitandis excommunicatis, for shunning of excommunicate and accursed persons which yield not to any repentance submission or reconciliation to that church, forsooth that every Christian in pain of excommunication de iure (wherein to die is thought to die in state of damnation) is bound to withdraw from such accursed persons not repenting, all friendly or loving company and countenance, all aid and relief, all service and obedience. Which doing, for these good subjects of England to put in execution toward the Queen, 
Papists meritorious treason.  were a very meritorious act: But what doth it merit? the just pains of treason for breaking their due allegiance, and eternal damnation (if they repent not) for resisting Gods lawful ordinance. This gear goeth sore, it is very evident and plain, that by necessary consequence, to this confession of traitorousnesse they must be driven, if they will continue Papists, that is will affirm the Pope's sentences not to err, or will give the Pope any spiritual jurisdiction in England.  
Wherefore these refusalles to acknowledge her majesties lawful power by oath, 
Refusers of the oath, meet to be well examined.  would be well looked unto, and the pretences, colours, and causes of such refusalles would be well examined, namely in such as shall have to do with justice and governing the country, but specially with those that shall have access into her highness household and presence. And well it would be sought what defence of dispensation, 
Popish dispensations to dissemble.  or toleration they have for their dissembling their purposes in not yet executing the Pope's sentence against her, and what devices they have for warranting of their consciences in suspending such treasons till stronger opportunities, what absolutions or instructions Popish Apostles have brought at their secret stepping into England again. For such salves are not unlikely to come out of his shop that dispenseth with breach of faith, yea that openly proclaimeth that there is no faith to be kept with Christ's friends & his adversaries, his shop I say that can give grace to have consecrated altarstones or superaltares for his traitorous friends in interdicted lands to have mass without peril, his shop that can send out badges with leave to swear and unswear with so liberal permission, as to say, give me thy heart and it sufficeth. And well may it suffice, for the heart will carry the hand too, when opportunity serveth, & when their Golden day approacheth, of which they make so great account. Such good fellows would be well looked upon?  
And for as much as Papists account their Pope's decrees the voice of God's spirit free from error, it is to be weighed, how far we must needs think they suppose the Pope's curse to have extended against our most noble Queen & realm, with whose public service and prayer, yea where nothing is used but the undoubted word of God and agreeable with it, they can not find in their hearts to communicate, but abhor it as schismatical. They would be opposed with a few interrogatories. 
Interrogatories for Papists.  It would be inquired, whether they think our Queen lawfully Queen of this realm before God, notwithstanding the Pope's sentence? And whether they think the Pope's sentence to reach any nearer unto her highness, then if it had been the sentence of the Bishop of Toledo, or the Bishop of Paris, and not given by the Bishop of Rome or under his authority? And if it reach nearer, than how far it reacheth? And if it extend to cases touching her hyghnesses' crown and dignity, or the service and obedience of her subjects, or so far as it were treason for any English subject to put it in execution in England: then whether the Pope in so presuming, and publishing that he doth but as he lawfully may do, have judicially erred, & in matter both of fact & doctrine passed his bounds or no?  
But to come somewhat nearer to Papists, always supposing such Papists as I have before specially described, I shall in one thing move mine own conceit for a question in law, referring it yet to the correction & judgement of such as be learned in law, of which sort I trust there be none that have not already by their oaths acknowledged the queens majesties full authority and so have declared that themselves be not guilty. 
Papists traitors by statute.  The statute made in the first year of the queens majesties reign, the vj. Chap. saith thus: And be it etc. that if any person or persons at any time after the said first day of May next to come, by any writing, printing, overt deed or act, maliciously, advisedly and directly do affirm that the queens majesty that now is ought not to have and enjoy the style, honour, and kingly name of this realm &c. shallbe deemed and adjudged high traitors. I take it by the same Statute that such an affirmation that the queens majesty ought not to have and enjoy the crown of Ireland, is high treason, for that the kingdom of Ireland is of right pertaining to the crown of England, and the title thereof is belonging to and parcel of the style, honour and kingly name of this realm, and is in the queens majesties usual style so plainly expressed. And so think I so much as is contained in the queens majesties royal style, or as the law doth in any wise say to be parcel of the style, honour or kingly name of this realm. But the queens jurisdiction over ecclesiastical persons & in ecclesiastical causes within this realm, is parcel of the ancient right of the crown, and so part of the style, kingly name or honour of this realm, and so it is acknowledged in the first statute of the same Parliament, where it is said, May it &c. for the restoring of the rights, jurisdictions and pre-eminences appertaining to the imperial crown of this your realm etc. Item, for the restoring and uniting to the imperial crown of this realm the ancient jurisdictions, authority, superiorities and pre-eminences to the same of right belonging and appertaining, Also the authority of Rome is in sundry places of the same first statute recognized to be usurped, which can not be if the queens supremacy do not of right pertain to her crown. Which act is also entitled An act for restoring to the crown the ancient jurisdiction over the state ecclesiastical etc. Moreover the same her majesties right is playnty expressed to be parcel of the style, honour and kingly name of this realm in the usual style as it is set out at large in her majesties Injunctions, and also contained in the commonly written style under this clause et cetera, which words et cetera can not be referred to nothing. And therefore I plainly gather that to play the good plain Papist, to affirm the Pope's hedshyp of the Church of England, or to deny the queens supremacy in her own realm, so far as her majesty by the law hath it, and as it is incident to her crown, is to play or rather in good earnest to be a high traitor.  
As for the manner of affirmation (maliciously, advisedly and directly) mentioned in the statut: if it be affirmed by a man sober, it will easily enough be judged to be advisedly and maliciously. And I nothing doubt that the term directly doth not restrain to the same form of syllables, but at least to any plain, certain, or indicative proposition concluding or expressing the same effect.  
But now how have these good fellows showed their good affection in practice? 
Practices of Papists against the Q.  For sooth some, the great ghostly fathers, whereof some yet live et insidiantur saluti bonorum & reipub. and lie in wait for destruction of the state and of good subjects, refuse to acknowledge her majesties authority, and that so doubtfully, as it is not expressedly certain, how soever it be consequently evident, whether they stick at the matter of the supremacy, or the very title of the crown.  
Other some are such, 
Story.  as one of them, even openly in her majesties highest court of Parliament made such moan that his counsel was not followed in Queen Mary's time to hue up the root, as all men plainly saw and understood his grief that the queens Majesty was not in her sister's time dispatched. And it is said that some other made grave motions for her disheritance.  
Other, 
Lonanists.  because they can not get her highness to cease to be their lawful queen, themselves have devised to cease to be her actual subjects. Because they can not shift her Majesty from her crown, they have shifted themselves out of her highnesses dominions, and are fled beyond the oseas. Some being there send hither their heretical, 
Seditious writers.  seditious and traitorous books, yet licensed there against good precedent of Princes, and against the example of her majesties honourable demeanour toward the same Princes, which by themselves or their Officers, rather ought to have restrained such doings, then to leave so shrewd occasion of taking harm them selves by the like. In these books her right is impugned: her faith is defamed: her government is discredited: her honour is touched: her Majesty is many ways violated and abated: the Religion that her highness holdeth and publisheth, is called schismatical, heretical, devilish, and with as many ill favoured names as they can rehearse, being yet in such eloquence perfect orators: the Preachers and professers of the religion that her highness setteth forth and professeth, are termed worse than Infidels: her title of supremacy over all her subjects is defaced for an usurped and undue name. And yet forsooth they think this gear gaily coloured, and thereby conducted to have safe passage among her subjects, if they can say, not that the Queen is an heretic, a schismatic, worse than an Infidel, not to be heard, not to be obeyed, not to be esteemed to have in deed the holy places and offices whose title she beareth, but pardie that all they be such that hold the same religion which the Queen doth not only hold, but also advise, command & procure to be holden. They think it trimly handled, if they do not say that the Queen challengeth and usurpeth a proud, wrongful and false title, but only that her Clergy have fastened upon her such a title, which it is well known that with free conscience she useth. They think themselves cunning fellows, and their books well warranted in England, if they do not call the Queen in plain speech Tyrant, Infidel, Arrian, and such like, when undirectly they imply it, and do apply to her cause the examples of pagan, Arrian, tyrannous and wicked Kings and Emperors. Who seeth not this so gross a mockery offered to so wise a Prince? as if for good manners sake they would forbear to say that john is a fool, and only say that he that is in Ihons' skin is a fool. God rid their skins of untrue subjects. This is done like fine men, all together as subtle and as false, as our late Rebels, that rising in armour with actual rebellion against her Majesty and her governance, would yet needs proclaim that they were true and faithful subjects, well disposed persons, and had very good meanings. Yet were those false traitors somewhat more curious of their honesty and truth than these good writers, for those Rebels yet reserved one sure starting hole, to defend their fastness to the Queen, because they have not told us what Queen they meant.  
another company of good sure men at home, 
Spreders of seditious books.  receive these goodly books, spread them abroad, read them in audiences and corners, commend them, defend them, give them great praises for learning and substantialness, as matters unanswerable, they amplify them, they set them out, much like to false seditious tale-bearers that during this late rebellion spread rumours in the quiet parts of the Realm, what numbers of thousands these rebels were, how armed, how horsed, what rank riders, what mighty strong, active and courageous fellows, what Giants, as if all the rest of England were but sheep: what wondrous confederates, what aids, by land, by sea, from Jerusalem, and no man knoweth whence, I think even out of Purgatory, as the popish Festival telleth, of the dead fellows in the churchyard that rose with their spades, shovels, & other tools that they used in their life, to defend him that was impeached by thieves to say De profundis for their souls. And all this was no more but to discourage the Queen's true subjects and soldiers, and to raise up in doubtful men inclined to papistry, a daring to join themselves to such a supposed strong side and faction. And yet these be not taken for seditious, as they are: the reason is because they are not yet hanged as they ought.  
another knot of such good company be common rumorspreders, 
Spreders of rumours.  of whom the public fame is that there be or have been certain notable and noted walkers in Paul's and such places of resort, 
Good church will it never be.  so common that the very usual places of their being there, are ordinarily known by the names of Papists corner, and liars bench, saving that I hear say now of late many of them flock more into the middle isle, which is supposed to be done partly for better hearkening, and partly for more commodious publishing. The suspicion, grudge & talk goeth among the queens good subjects, how such fellows be the coiners of news: In the beginning of the rebellion, how lusty they were, how their countenances, their fleering, their flinging paces, their whisperings showed their hearts: how they had news of every increase, of every going forward, and of every avantageable doing of the Rebels: how they have news out of France and Flaunders with the soon, God knoweth what they send thither, and with what reciprocation they requite such news again: how they had news of the late horrible murder ere it were done, as if they had been accessaries before the fact: 
Club. Basto.  how they writ letters at home directed to themselves: how with these pretty letters, while they be fresh bleeding, that is, so scarcely dry that the ink blotteth, with their great countenances, with their taking upon them wondrous intelligence and great insightes in secrets of Princes, as if they were kings cousines, and with their offerings of wagers, and such other braggeries, they deface (as men say) all that can be brought or reported never so truly of any good success to the Queen or her friends.  
And other sort there is, 
Ouerthwart Papists.  like kestrelles or trouts, they ever fly against the wind, or swim against the stream, in queen mary's time great Gospelers, now great Papists, 
●op. etc.  men that would ever seem wiser than the present world, and would feign be noted to see some singular thing, when for the most part themselves are the most vain and singular fools that live. No government pleaseth them, & as they be content with no world, so are they meet to live in none. But let them beware the sin against the holy ghost, it is a perilous thing. God grant them to see the horror of it, so far as it may avail to their timely repentance, before that mere apostasy bring them into it.  
There is feared to be an other subtle sort, 
Papists counterfeiting Gospelers.  that are in deed of no religion, and yet at sundry times and places, to some secretly, to some openly, to some one where to some an other, much like the divided counsels in Edward the fifth's time, would seem of all religions. These be most inclined to papistry, either because God will not vouchsafe that such dissemblers feel true religion, or that they be rank papists in deed, howsoever they abuse men with other show for purposes, or (which I rathest think) for that they are persuaded that the Popish faction either for multitude, for wealth, for foreign alliances, or for hatred to the Queen and her government (which they perhaps would wish to be overthrown as all perfect papists would) or for other respects, is more commodious for their desire and ambition or for the toys in their heads, to rise to vantage in an other world. Such belike have a good mind to the advise that Lentulus wrote to Catiline, Auxilium petas ab omnibus, etiam ab infimis, seek help of all sorts, yea even of the meanest, they make much of all sides. Such can I compare to notable pirates, that will ever have within board men of all nations and flags of all Princes and countries. If he meet with Englishmen stronger than himself, out goeth a flag of England and Englishmen above hatches, that he may pass in peace, likewise he doth with the Frenchman, Scot, Fleming, spaniard, or other, and many times he doth this not to much to pass peaceably himself, as that he may the more unprovidedly set upon him whom he desireth to spoil. So happeneth it sometimes that such a counterfeit papist, as my Lord of Westmoreland and other, finding the plain show of papistry not so commodious profitable or safe for him by reason of many occurrentes that may hap to have overtaken him, till he were ready for his purpose, hangeth out a flag of Christianity, dealeth with the Bible & other good books as the decayed knight did to whom Bishop Cranmer upon a good hope gave fifty pound yearly pension to cherish his towardness, he setteth his men of that nation above hatches, he deceiveth good men that be not filii huius seculi, no children of this world, those he abuseth with protestations: and God wot with the same faith that teacheth to keep no faith, while in the mean time for all this, of their certain purpose of piracy, of their provision preparation and furniture, of their former devices, nothing is changed, their other company though under hatches yet still be ready till the opportunity of mischief bids them start up suddenly like the children of the earth that rose by miracle of the serpent's teeth that Cadmus had sown. These be watchers and reach ever to an other world, they provide for succeeding of times to come, imagining what day shall follow the dreadful night. They would be looked unto by the present day light, before the night come. These to speak plainly be they (if any such be, as of such mind all perfect papists be) that are weary of her majesties government, & fall to devising by planting a hope of strange titels to undermine her majesties estate, such as hang upon the hope of Rome after her decease, which hope they know can not have effect, while her highness liveth and reigneth, to whom almighty God grant to live & reign while the world lasteth, in person or in succession of her own most royal body. Of this sort was Gardiner that abused K. Henry with a false flag of religion, when he made his book of true obedience. Of this sort was Boner when he fauned upon the L. Cromwell, & made a notable preface to Gardiner's book. Of this sort was Tonstall, and the rest that wrote against the Pope, Pole, and all papistry. Of this sort are all those Catilines companions Papists that bear a glozing show of obedience and wait for a time to utter their malice, till they drop away into Manlius' camp, or tarry with Lentulus, Cethegus, Ceparius, and the rest to murder the Consul Cicero, or set the City, I mean the Realm on fire.  
another lewd sort either deprave whatsoever the queens Majesty and her most honourable Counsel doth for the safeguard and commodity of the realm, 
〈◊〉 of the Q. good doings.  or of things which they can not deface, they transfer the praise to other, being desirous as it were by false flattery to creep into ambition's bosom, to raise up a faction against her highness: as if her Majesty do any popular or beneficial act to the commonalty, by and by they imagine some one or other whom they would make an Absalon whether he will or no, to embesell the people's love, seeing full well but not caring at all how they burden with great suspicious those whom they load with false praises & perhaps draw into unjust harms those whom they claw with untrue flattery. Howbeit I trust all men of credit and greatness, have taken heed and will beware that wrongful praises and imputations raise not their mind, to a wrong way of climbing, for surely such popularities and hangings by the vain air, are not avancementes but precipitations. But such is the corn powder of treason wherewith these popish rumour spreaders hearts be double charged, that it must needs break forth, and commonly to his destruction or great danger of singeing that ministereth the fire.  
another sort exercise their railing tongues, 
Railers up on the clergy.  which by great use at tables and other places, they have made very slippery, voluble, & flowing, in untrue defacing the clergy of the realm, their lives, examples marriages, & doctrines: some tell of the liberalities of times past, some of the old merry world. And all this is but to this end, to drive into subjects a loathing of present government, & a misliking of the state wherein our good prelate's & preachers are maintained. 
Papists in places of credit.  another spiteful dangerous sort being placed or rather left in places of good countenance and credit, either in Colleges, houses of study, offices in the greatest household, in Courts, in Cathedral churches, worshipful rooms in the country, and such like, with the very show of their countenance, with their liking or disliking, pulling forward or pressing down, open preferring or secret pinching, so handle the matter that many times it is more safe, or at least more commodious and avantageable to be taken for a Papist, than for a Christian. For well you wots how men will smell men of their own faction. And sometime by these means, unconstant Gospelers for necessity or profits sake, become yelders, and dissemblers, till at length by God's grace forsaking them, and by his just plague ordinarily lighting upon yelders and halters, they slide by degrees from hypocrites to plain apostates, which are in deed the most desperate kind of Papists. And if this be not redressed, in vain the Preacher preacheth, in vain the Prince and Counsel setteth forth true doctrine. 
A gentle proverb. Let 〈◊〉 have their words.  For this they can say: when the Preacher hath said, he hath done, but continual execution carrieth away the power, credit, and people. Trow ye these be good meaning men to her Majesty, that so persecute & undermine the religion, whereof her Majesty is under God, and by God's provision, the great base and mean of stay in this Realm?  
But above all other doth it not plainly appear what hearts papists bear to her majesty, when papists themselves and notorious open traitors and rebels made their plain account, that to rebel against the Queen, to practise the alteration of her government, the overthrow of her estate, the displacing of her counsel, the foisting in of a far worse in her stead whosoever it be, and the destruction of her person, is the very natural humour, affection and desire of papists? Consider the rebellious Earls, look upon their company and assistants, view them well, note their ensigns of wounds and crosses, the inscriptions about them, In hoc signo vinces, in this sign thou shalt over come, abusing the words of Constantine to encouragement of their false hypocrisy. Note their procedings, their tearing and burning the book of God, their breaking the Communion table, their profaning of Churches with vile Idolatry, their erecting of abominable Mass, their chaplains lewd and seditious sermons, and chiefly read their first proclamation. Find you not there, in their proclamation, where their trust was reposed? forsooth in men of that sort which they call the old and Catholic religion, to whom their proclamation was directed. Find you not there in their proclamation, the sum of their complaint▪ the cause and colour of their rebellion? forsooth that evil disposed persons about the Queen have overcome the old and catholic religion within the realm. Find you not there, in their proclamation, the declaration of their intent & purpose? forsooth to restore old customs and liberties to the Church of England. If these be true pretences, then is papistry being the ground thereof, plainly, flatly, and truly treason. If they be not true, but false and vain colours, abused by these rebels to deceive and draw more subjects to take their parts, then see what followeth, then must it needs consequently be evident that they themselves yet supposed & knew papistry to be the very likely and apt colour and mean to allure men to rebellion and treason against the Queen, as the very kindly bait, 
Treason the natural humour of Papistry.  and as their natural affection daily gaping for such opportunity, howsoever at this time inconvenience of season, unripeness of matter, untowardness of aid, unredinesse of provision, unfitness of guides, preventing of counsels, stay of their heads & colours, with other good means of gods merciful providence, repressed their unhappy courages, which yet daily l●ke for new time & circumstances of less encumbrance. But in the mean time as God gathereth his glory out of all things, yea even out of sins, so let us out of this great evil yet gather some good, a good example and a good lesson to learn to know that papistry is treason and he that is infected with treason is a traitor, and so to provide against them thereafter.  
Whence come I pray you the prophecies commonly talked of in the beginning of her most gracious and blessed reign, 
Traitorous prophecies.  how many years and how many months her majesty should continue? Whence came the lewd conjurers conference with the devil, how long the queens highnesses government and this religion should endure? cometh not this gear from traitorous affections of those well disposed persons? cometh it not from the same fountain of treason, from whence did flow the supplications which the late monster Gardiner penned and preferred in Queen Mary's time, for restitution to the heirs of the northern rebels that rose in her most noble father's days, yea and adding the consideration of their restitution to be, because they were in armour against the king her father for defence of religion (meaning Papistry) and for revenge of injuries and dishoners (as they said) done to her mother? cometh it not from the same affections that have raised the great and lamentable tumults in the realm? And trow you the same affection still lodgeth not with the same opinion? I am half afraid, that out of this fountain should also spring a few blind demie prophecies interlaced in prognostications, 
Prognostications.  as Nestradamus' and others pretty bywordes and this that lately hath written: Alas the Moon shall be called in the house of enemies and prison, whereby is like to happen to us specially to the common people much adversity. etc. and some other such toys to fill the people's heads with buzzes. But let the best of such be construed. Yet I would for friendship and learnings sake tell those authors, if I were acquainted with them, that such vanities might be spared, and only so much out of that art would be set out to the people as is commodious and fit for them to see, and lawful & standing with good discretion for the writers to publish. Such a writer might hap to be a man so holden suspected of Papistry as he mought so increase the misdeming against his own person shrewdly. I speak nothing of the prognosticating toy of a marriage sent up to be printed. But let us see more examples.  
Remember I pray you Gardiner's sermon at Paul's cross in Queen Mary's time upon this text Hora est iam nos è somno surgere, 
Gardiner's traitorous sermon.  It is now time for us to rise out of sleep. There he showed how God dispenseth each thing and each success in convenience of times, he declared what ways had been attempted for restitution of the Pope's primacy in England, wherein he divers ways falsely defamed King Henry with intentes of submission, such was the bishops impudence. He named the rebellions in the North in King Henry's time, and in the West in King Edward's time, which he clothed with cleanly names, as enterprises and assemblies, as our late rebels do in both their first and second proclamations. But saith he, the hour was not yet come. He by way of objection wondered how the people could without rebelling bear such injuries oppressions and robberies which they sustained as he said in the fall of money and otherwise in King Edward's reign. 
He did not foresee the fall of Rose pens to nothing.  He answered himself, that the hour was not yet come. But now (saith he) the hour is come, now is the time for us to wake from sleep, as who should say. 
Accipe nunc 〈…〉, et crimine ab uno ●●ce omnes.  Long have we slept, or long have we winked, long have we been holden in awe, glad to dissemble our treasons and to semble good subjects, long have we borne our sovereign Lord a fair face, as if we acknowledged his due authority and detested the enemy to him and to all Kings the Pope, long have we cloaked and hidden our zeal, waiting for a good hour. Now the dreadful King Henry is dead, the hopeful King Edward is taken away, the Christian nobility entangled in snares of law specially if it may be partially and violently used, the prince and time favoureth our side, a mighty foreign match is made for the vantage of our part, now the son of our victory, and the day of our triumph shineth upon us, now is it time for us to wake from sleep. Though the time once were, specially in the L. Cromwell's days, when we in show abhorred the name of Papists, and would commonly say we had as leave be called traitor as Papist, and bring actions of the case for our purgation, yet now is the time that we glory in these titles, either of Papist in respect of these times, 
Filii huius mundi.  or of traitor in respect of those times. Let us not now lose our occasion, for we shall never have the like again, specially for that so much of the nobility snared with treason are yielded to our 〈◊〉. Note this gear well, for Papists did never bear her majesty greater countenance of loyalty, never served her with greater show of faithfulness, never protested more truth and good meaning, than those did to King Henry the eight and to King Edward, which afterward yet openly showed what secret disloyalty unfaithfulness and untruth had so long lurked in their bosoms. give once the like opportunities, and be bold that you shall have the like speeches, for they have still the like hearts and like expectations. They comfort themselves with this, that the remembrance of these things will one day be pleasant unto them, and in the mean time (as Cicero saith) oculis designant ad caedem unumquemque nostrum, they note every one of us with their eyes and register us to be destroyed. Let us therefore take the contrary course to them. Where they look for an other time, let us do our endeavour to maintain this time, where they reach with expectation to altering of government, let us bend all our force, policy and means of service to the defence of this estate. Where they pray for change, specially of Queens, let us pray for continuance of her highnesses reign. Where they hide rebellious stomachs, let us show true and faithful hearts. Where they desire that her majesty and her Counsel may be deceived with flattering and erroneous pretence of policy, pacification, and colour of clemency, that under that shadow they may lurk and be nourished as serpent in bosom, let us pray to God to give judgement to discern them, to search the bottom of the late treasons, that they may be shaken out and used as dangerous vipers. Where their trust is in their Pope and Popish treasons and conspiracies, let our confidence be in God and his providence, not shrinking from the same with our best courage and prudence. Where they will not stick to use all subtle undermyninges, and will not lose the vantage of times, that they may one day triumph in cruel violence, let us pray that on this part be used all good policies, that Gods offered means & good opportunites be not refused or overslipped, that God rend not the kingdom from his anointed for sparing his enemies, but that it may long flourish in the hands of his most noble and virtuous handmaid our most excellent & gracious Sovereign Lady. Thus is it evident by reasons and examples, what hearts Papists bear to her majesty.  
The third conclusion, 
English Papists traitors to England.  that such English Papists are traitors to the realm of England etc. hath received two proofs already, the one in the general treasons of all Papists to all realms, wherein England and English Papists are included, the other in their traitorous minds to the queens majesties person and dignity, which is the highest treason that can be to the realm of England. Yet are there some other particular doings more specially to enforce it, namely the experience that hath been of their casting away the care of their country, no all other natural affections, to the end with all immanity & outrageous unnatural cruelty to torment English Christians and to subject the realm to foreign power for their false religions sake. I am sure there are enough and to many that can remember both that they have red in credible histories, and seen in lamentable experience, how the Papists have showed themselves so addicted to their superstition, and so captived to an undue reverence of their tyrannous Pope, that they have for it rejected the care of country and of those to whom natural duty bound them.  
It is certain that that English man which can be contented for Papistry to raise or favour rebellion in our country: to join in conspiracy with strangers, to help to invade and spoil our country: to convey the crown of our country to a foreigner: to agree with them in faction that offer our country to pray spoil and conquest: to colour foreign subjections of our country with false titles of wrested law, to submit his faith to that potentate that hath accursed and given our country, their souls to the devil their bodies lands and possessions to them that can catch them: to believe or favour them that spread all vile dishoners against our country: to take his part as the most holy one, that claimeth to himself from our natural prince the obeisance of one great part of her subjects, yea & of all her subjects in a great part of their affairs: to assent that a foreign usurper shall by deceivable shows of false religion have ordinary means by colours of suits, resorts, annates, fruits, pensions, investitures, and other infinite crafts to rob our country of treasure: to like well of his doings and to hold that he doth no more than he lawfully may do, which being an alien a foreign bishop shall take upon him to extend his curse to the prince of our country and all the people thereof, and that he hath power to discharge the subjects of the realm from their faith and allegiance, and hath authority to bind their obedience to whom he will, and is able to give heaven to rebels that shall venture their lives in wasting and destroying our country: he I say that can yield his consent to these doings & thinkings, must needs be a traitor to his country. And such a one is every such English Papist as I have described, and can be none other if he hold the Pope for a true teacher and have good opinion of of the Pope's doctrine and examples. And to defend that we ought to yield our saythes or submission to the Pope, is in generality to affirm all these mischiefs and treasons. And such as be of that mind, as all such Papists be, can not in true judgement be severed from traitorous watchers to put the same in execution when so ever they may have times and means to bear them harmless.  
Let be called to mind the treasons of the clergy against Henry the second, and specially the vile practices of the two traitorous bishops of Lincoln and Heresord against Edward the second. But principally how as I have aforesaid the Dolphin of France by colour of title given him from the Pope for King john's disobedience to that apostatical seat, invaded and long possessed a great part of England: how the deceived barons of England, both at that time specially, & at some other times severally, at the Pope's will and upon pronouncing of his curse against the king, forsook their allegiance, look part with the frenchmen, spoiled their own country, and like most unnatural children, at an adulterous stop fathers bidding did thrust their sword into their mother's belly. Remember Cardinal Poles message to the Emperor: the rebellions raised in that time, and since: the late practices in Queen Mary's days, to bring the realm in thraldom to the most insolent and intolerable nation, and to transfer the inheritance of the crown, with not only disheriting but also destroying the true and natural heir: their great sorrow, that it was not performed: the great trust that our Papists in all their countenances and speeches showed themselves to have of the good success of Henry the french king, whom God took away before his accomplishment of threatened enterprises against this realm. Let not be forgotten their glorienges in their champion of Guise. It is yet fresh and raw in remembrance, how openly they uttered their as it were applaudinges, gratulations, and cheerful significations of favour to that side, even then when, as it is well known, the same family of Guise sought, under colour of his kinswomans' title, and by that foreign title which was made the title and foundation of this last rebellion, 
Romish religion.  to invade this land, to overthrow the queens majesties estate, and to transport the crown of our country to strangers.  
Let it be considered what good practices these late Rebels have had with strangers to the hazard of their country, 
Rebels confedered with strangers.  even so far forth as they feared not in their proclamations, with a little colourable form of penning, to brag and put their confederates in hope of strangers coming to invade and destroy the realm, which by a pretty, gentle, false term they call reforming the realm. Let it be well weighed what they mean to the realm, that under colour of succeeding do so far undermine the head of our country, that by raising some to a hope of the next succeeding, they convey the countenance, favour and supportation of a great corrupt number of such as may frame themselves any hope of gain that way, to other persons that by such kindled ambition may be the more hastily emboldened. Such mad hopes made lewd books to be published in print to entitle strangers to our crown, and to give advise to cherish the amity of France to this end that the rebellious nation of England (as they term us) may by that means be tamed, 
Proving of 〈◊〉.  if we will not contentedly yield to such subjection. It is not nothing that the same books were ambitiously published in Paris, and set up upon every post and pillar, and by men of great place and charge most earnestly defended, when on our queens majesties behalf they were required to be suppressed. I speak not yet of the worst books, well known to the best persons. 
Plures adorant solem orientem quam occidentem.  This to do is to show us a Sun rising to whose worship they would feign draw us from our Sun declining, as they suppose. No, no, our Queen is our true Sun: and what soever shining thing they would set up in her time, it is no right Sun, 
Mutantem regna Cometen.  but an unlucky Comet. And it is not yet noon, I trust, with our Sun: or if it be, I hope yet God will lengthen the day to our Sun for his honours sake, as he did to josua, and the rather shall all good subjects have cause so to hope it, if the residue of the day may be so spent as josua spent it, and for which purpose God did prolong it, to rid the world of God's enemies. Let it be suspected what hopes of prevention, anticipation & most dreadful mischief, which I fear and abhor to name, the encouragement of such succeeding, which is the work of Papists, may minister where the only person of our most dear and precious sovereign Lady standeth without any more mean stays of her most honourable and joyful issue between them and their desired effect the utter undoing of us all, and specially where the power of revenge may by possibility fall into their hands for whose sake it should be attempted. It is no small mischief, danger, and apalling of faith and courage, when our prince must be defended against those that by possibility may aspire to hope to have colour to be our Princes themselves and to wreak it upon good subjects that serve our Queen truly. What kindness or naturalness will do, hath been abundantly showed already diverse ways. And in the late murderous mischief, a most foul precedent, but a most perfect lesson, this one thing is much to be noted, that it was here by rumour reported as done, before it were done there, which argueth that the conspiracy extended hither, and how far further (or rather nearer) is good to be quickly and earnestly searched, and by the same example to be remembered, what harm the loss of using occasion hath bred, when it might have so been prevented, 
Novissimus error peior priore.  that neither he had been murdered, nor the Queen encumbered. I dispute no titles. I have no reach beyond our Queen. I can see nothing beyond our Queen but a Chaos of misery, therefore I am loath to look so far. My only care is, as my prayer is, & all good subjects ought to be, for our Q. majesties preservation. What other title so ever be pretended, be it good or bad, if it shall once threaten danger to the Q. Majesty whose title and governance we know to be true and have felt to be good, I wish it destroyed and put out of hope, lest it hope to soon, to fast, to much, to high, and join with to many.  
Record I pray you the anathemas of the conspiracy of Trent, their cruel and dangerous practices against this realm, and against all other of Christian profession, the Pope's sentences against our Queen and Country, and all this well liked of, and holden for holy by our own unhappy Papists. Remember the devices to put the same sentences and conspiracies in execution, in France and Flanders all at one tyme. 
Haud recte temporibus divisa sunt tibi ista, dave.  Consider the concurrence and evenness of time of this rebellious enterprise in England, and that late murderous and heinous attempt in scotland. But to pike a little more good out of the late ill deed of horrible murder. What say the queens good subjects to be the cause, why after our rebels vanquished, the Regent was slain, that should have been done before to serve our rebels and their conspiraters turn. For soothe their traitors there and some conspiraters here English or Scottish saw full well the sincere friendship of the Regent to the Queen, that notwithstanding all the practices from hence to the contrary, he minded to deliver our rebels, whereby the counsels and complices both here and there must have been disclosed, they politicly provided, by assent to murder that noble gentleman betimes, whose blood added to other bloods so cry to God, as it is perilous to draw to much into society and partnership of those against whom such blood so crieth. This is the common fear of good subjects: and to fear to much rather then to little, may be more folly, but it is less fault. It may have less cause, but it hath more truth honesty and faith. Wey well if these be the means that my lords of Northumberland and Westmoreland, and their company have sought to bring the uniting of realms and crowns, and to work the effect of their proclamations both for state and religion, which doing such men brag to be so beneficial, & sith the same and the titles thereof reach not so far as by any these means to make such uniting in the person of our most noble Queen, nor such attempts for religion and other effects can be achieved with her liking: then what success is to be looked for of their devices and what mark is it to be feared they shoot at? They and such other Papists and ambitious practisers may perhaps justly and truly say, protest & swear that they intended not the effect of such purposes while her Majesty liveth, for it may be that they mean peradventure that her highness should not live so long. God preserve her to outlive all them that have lived to long. This example is terrible, and would be profitably used.  
You can not forget how the Pope claimeth, 
Popish clergy no good subjects.  and our Papists do grant him the superiority over Ecclesiastical persons. Their obedience is thereby withdrawn from their Prince, and from the service of their Country, & they exempted from their duties to the Prince and realm. Like is the referring of all ecclesiastical causes to the Pope as to the supreme judge and ruler. Great wrong thereby is done to the Realm, great withdrawing of the bodies of subjects from presence to serve and defend the Realm, and great transportation of the treasure: the foul examples whereof in pilfering and scraping within the Realm, to serve the unsatiable covetise of Rome, appeareth by the many lamentable complaints in their own histories, with which enormities and oppressions as most burdenous and perilous to the Realm, our parliaments and specially Convocations, have before time found themselves marvelously aggrieved. And yet this heavy & overchargeable yoke must be reduced again by our Papists, 
Harding.  yea and our new angels of Louvain, with whom the evil spirits at home do accord, can term these intolerable exactions, but a small pittance or trifle to acknowledge our good will to our mother church, and can call the reasonable misliking or just groaning thereat as a niggardly grudging. Liberal men, I assure you, and no marvel, for they be of his faction, 
Wolsey.  that sometime bragged that the advancing of himself to the throne of Rome, should cost him all England. So small a thing these Papists account it to venture all England at a cast. And good reason have they, for they venture it at the peril of other men's losses, for whosoever reign here by their treason, they are like to keep or increase their wealths and dignities.  
Let it be thought upon how much these fellows esteem the common knot of fidelity to the Prince, whereby the peace of the land is holden together, and each man's due property is preserved, which believe that the same faith is dissoluble at the will of a foreign priest.  
Let also this descending gradation be considered concerning Papists and their hope, 
Traitors not true to their own fellows.  how true they will be to their Country, that are not true to God: how true they will be to their good Prince, that are not true to their Country: how true they will be to any subject, that are not true to their Prince: and thereby let their confedrates beware that they be not made bottles, first filled & then emptied, & afterward hanged up by the walls. Let the Duke of Buckingham in king Richard's time, and infinite other beat this wisdom into their head, to know how ill a tyrant or one that attaineth a crown by mischief and wrong, can bear to live detbounden to those that advanced him, or subject to their reproach, & being once fleshed in mischiefs by their help how little conscience he maketh to proceed further and specially upon them whom he knoweth in his conscience in joining with him to have well deserved it. Let them well digest the viscount of Melunes admonition on his death bed to the English barons in the beginning of the reign of king john's heir. And let them never say that they the late rebels and their complices had no such intention to overthrow her majesties estate, sith the things expressed in their first proclamation can not be done while her majesties estate continueth, who hath so honourably oft protested to prefer God's truth above her crown and life, which God long preserve.  
Let all Englishmen, think of this and believe it as experience hath taught it, that where Monks and religious persons changed their surnames and had many other solemn ceremonies at their professions, 
monks forswore their country and natural duty.  which they said did signify their virtuous renouncing of worldly and carnal fancies, 
Therefore many Bishops would not be consecrate till they were made Monks.  the same pretence of signifying was utterly false, like the pretence of refusing the oath to the Queen: and the very true meaning such as is proved by the consequence of their deeds, was no other but that every perfect Papist doth take upon him a zeal, for defence of their God the Pope and his heresy to throw away all due and natural benevolence and faith to Prince, Country, parents, friends, and all those just and due respects, whereunto God by the law of nature hath bound them in this world: and this must so be, for the other true vow of renouncing, was made before in Baptism, and remained still in force.  
To all these inconveniences and traitorous absurdities they must needs be subject which hold that the Church of Rome is the true Catholic Church of Christ, and that the Catholic Church of Christ can not err.  
The horror of their cruelties to the people of their country, 
Cruelties of Papists.  of whom their country consisteth, whose lives they have regarded no more than sheep, yea no more than fleaes, and that with such delight of torment as if they still cried out as the heathen tyrant did fac ut sentiat se mori, let him feel that he is dying, & as the Pope himself did that caused some of his Cardinals to be tormented in such manner by special commandment, that he being in a garden underneath saying his devotions, might hear them cry: all this I refer to the large, faithful and learned explication of that good diligent and virtuous man Master Fox in his Book of Acts and Monuments of the Church, where as in a glass doth evidently appear what nature or any kind, respect to kin, reverence, pity, love, or country, reigned or rather remained in the furious hearts of Papists, how smoothly soever the hypocrites with Crocodiles tears or wild Irish laughter, do feign, flatter and abuse those in whose power they be, till they have their time of advantage. Though the remembrance of these things be bitter, yet is it wholesome. And therefore let it not out of their hearts that have hearty care, and specially charge of their country.  
That clemency and gentleness can not reclaim them from traitorous minds while they continue in Papistry, 
Clemency can not win a Papist.  is as plain and as true a form of speech, as if a man should say they must needs be traitors, so long as they be full of treason, for treason and Papistry are unseparable while they be kept under, even as cruelty and Papistry are unseparable when they are gotten above. Yet for some more ample opening of the truth of this conclusion, let us somewhat more weigh their qualities with reasonable consideration and conference of their doings.  
If clemency and benefits should be able to reclaim them, it must be for some regard that they must have of the duty of thankfulness, for benefits received of those persons from whose sincerely loving mind toward them, and not from any foreign enforcing cause, they account the benefits to proceed. Wherein is to be searched, how much they are likely to esteem such duty, by their weighing other & near duties, and again how well they acknowledge from whence this clemency and benefits have proceeded. For if the highest and greatest duties of kindness move them not, then is small account to be made of their thankfulness for temporal commodities, or at the least for bare suffering them to live unpunished. And again if the same impunity and other beneficial doings, be thought to come enforced from other, or craftily won by their own policy, or so to come from yourself as you could not chose, then is your thank so far lost as there is no hope that ever any such mean can reclaim a Papist.  
Surely he that regardeth not the highest duty, will never regard the meanest. The duty of the love or fear of God can not hold a Papist from blasphemy against God. The duty of faith & allegiance to his Prince can not keep a Papist from treason to his Prince. The duty of dear love to his natural country can not withdraw a Papist from assenting to, yea and procuring the spoil, destruction, bondage, and alienation of his country, as I have already proved. The duty of kind and natural pity can not stay a Papist from murdering the feeble sex, nor the silly tender infancy, nor reverend eldest age. The duty of familiarity in youth, of friendship in graver years, of continual society during all the life passed, with heaps of mutual commodities, can not pull back a Papist from immanity of sacrificing his dearest friends. The duty of honour of Children to parents, or love of parents to children, removeth not a Papist from unnatural cruelty. The duty of entire love and fellowship between man and wife, holdeth no place in the heart of a Papist. No duty of kindred, no estimation of learning & virtue, no good respect that moveth good men to love & compassion, once toucheth a stubborn Papist. All these duties we have seen broken, yea neglected and thrown away by Papists. And is there hope that clemency can so far win them, as to hold them in truth to the Prince, from whom they receive it, if opportunity serve to bring them out of her danger, or her highness into their danger, which God forbidden?  
Whensoever (which God grant never be) her Majesty person should stand in their courtesy, it is evident that then the gate were open to their desires, to their flourishing, to their conquest, to their abilities of revenging, and to their perfect triumphing. And will they, trow you, omit all these that they so earnestly gape for? will they let pass any occasion that may bring these? and all in respect of her gracious clemency, and benefits? no no, that will not be. It grieveth me to think and I abhor to write what opportunities they are likely to seek and use, having now pressed so far as they have already done with their enterprises, shadowed with such hopes as their proclamation hath uttered.  
But admit kindness were in them for benefits where they impute them. It is as well known as a common proverb that, where her Majesty of her singular goodness of nature (which yet were far greater goodness, if it be directed to the only preservation of good men, and not further stretched and abused to the cherishing of evil and dangerous men) hath forborn and restrained execution of law against them, which yet are the laws made expressly for her majesties safety, their ordinary saying is, you can have no law against us, God so provideth for us his chosen anointed, that you can have no law, or if you have, you can not execute it, god so preserveth their side forsooth & so bridleth her majesties power, by his own instinct or by their own means of policy.  
See the examples of their thankfulness. Did ever those Papists, whose lives were saved by good Bishop Cranmers' means, who were brought up, who were defended, who were advanced, who were shelded from harm & peril by him, once requite him with one drop of kindness? And yet they spoke him fair in his prosperity. Availed the great liberality of king Henry the viii. to raise up any kind remembrance in Papists, that were great in Queen mary's days, to stay them from assenting to the captivity and danger and seeking the blood of his most noble daughter our most gracious sovereign Lady? And yet during king Henry's reign, they showed a serviceable face, as if they would have spent their bloods, to keep wrong from him and his, and did serve against Papistry itself, till their treason and Papistry was ripe to be advanced. Are not the great doers of this last rebellion and conspiracy, those of whom her Majesty hath most well and bountifully deserved? And yet while they were in her presence, they were as desirous as any that be now about her to have her Majesty think of them as of good and faithful subjects. Yea when they were near the execution of their treasons, being suspected and examined thereof, 
Periuri que arte Sinonis.  denied it, and made vehement high protestations with great oaths of their purpose to the contrary, and their readiness to subdue them that should break the peace, as in her majesties proclamation appeareth. The success of whose doings, so shortly following, amounteth to as much as if they had plainly said, 
unum nôris, omnes nôris.  what soever visor of faith, whatsoever promise of true allegiance, what soever assurance of words, what soever employing them selves against their own parts till perfect readiness, what soever judging and condemning of their own faction being not yet strong enough, Papists do pretend, it is to no other end but to insinuate themselves into freedom from mistrust, and to draw her majesties eyes to look an other way, to bring her into a security till the danger be unavoidable, as I trust it never shallbe, if good subjects stick well together to her highness, which shallbe so long as her Majesty shall as she doth stick well to God & her good subjects, & not to suffer them to be disabled to defend her.  
Surely when Papists are come so far, that the wife can procure the murder of her husband, the father of his son, the mother of her child, the friend of his dearest friend, and so in all degrees of conjunction, shall her Majesty look to have clemency and liberality requited with loyalty at their hands, that already boast that they receive no clemency or goodness of her, but by their own cunning means, or by a superior enforcement?  
And truly of this their great unkindness, there is one great reason while Papistry remaineth in them, Earthly things must give place to heavenly, and transitory to eternal. They esteem the voice of the Pope as the voice of the eternal God. While her Majesty actually reigneth over them, they suppose not themselves to live under her highness as subjects, but to be holden as captives, and so with all their feigned show they bear to her a servile reverence, 
Papists obedience untrue.  even altogether such as the bond Mores have done to the spaniards, and as Gardiner and his fellows did bear to king Henry the viii. and to king Edward, and my Lords of Northumberland and Westmoreland and their company with these that have dropped to them since or shall hereafter shrink likewise from her, do bear to herself. They are ready further at their God the Pope's voice, whensoever they may be able to shake of her yoke and government, with opinion of meritoriousness, as the vile Monk that tempered a toad for his natural king, and as doctor Mackerel in times past, and some other both then and since have openly uttered. Again where they suppose their ancestors and friends souls, for lack of the help which the Queen keepeth from them, to lie in unspeakable pains: where also they suppose their own souls to lack their ghostly comforts, themselves to be cut from God's church being severed from the pope the head thereof: chief where they think not only themselves, but also their children and posterity for ever, to be by the setting forth of this Religion which the queens highness advanceth, drawn into a continual dangerous stream and unrecoverable state of damnation. And where all this while they are further persuaded (as they must needs be, if they think the Roman church catholic & the Pope the head thereof, and the catholic church and the head thereof to be preserved from possibility of error) that by force of the Pope's sentence and for schismatical and unrepentant swerving from his church, her Majesty is not in God's sight just Queen of this realm, with remembering how far they think they may or aught, when they dare, to shun her as a person excommunicate, and to withdraw from her all aid, relief, service and obedience: is it, trow you, to be thought that such benefits as they receive in clemency and otherwise, which yet they impute to Gods preserving them for the holiness of their cause, or to their own policies in deceiving her, are able to weigh down those deep and eternal considerations of miseries which they believe themselves to sustain by her means? It is not possible, being so persuaded of her right to the crown, and of the Pope's power over her crown and person, as they be. While they think themselves true Israelites, the chosen people of God, and the Pope their Moses or rather Christ, what account make they of the prince, whom they serve, other than as of Pharaoh? or make they any more conscience of withdrawing all duties from the Prince and their whole country, than the Israelites did of robbing the Egyptians, how fair soever they spoke, promised, or bound themselves when they borrowed their jewels? Many such examples have been seen in her majesties most noble progenitors days, but most chiefly and most evidently in her own.  
Of like truth it is that Papistry being an heresy, 
Papistry increaseth by lenity.  or rather a bondle made up of an infinite number of heresies, must needs have the property of heresy, to flourish with indulgence and lenity. We see the like example in the sect of Arrians, which under heretical Emperors exceedingly encreasced, and being once condemned & restrained by punishment, hath worn away to a few. So far as king Henry the viii. went in reforming religion, which was to abolish the primacy of Rome out of this realm (a noble conquest) with certain gross idolatries: did not the severity of his laws, the awe of his person, & the dread of due execution, so hold down those parts of Papistry which he suppressed, that they durst not once show themselves in his days? and yet in the same time the grievous law of six Articles made against God's truth, and sinisterly procured by Popish clergy, nor yet the earnest inquiry, nor cruel executing of it by Bishops & other, could hold down the truth of the Gospel, but that it broke out more and more upon them. The reason is, that Papistry and Christian truth have two several ends: truth respecteth heaven, and Papistry the world. Whereby their adventures & enterprises are commonly diverse: the Papist dare boldly set upon any mischief, where he hath hope to advance his falsehood: The Christian dare constantly abide any torment to give witness of God's truth. And such quality of God's truth have the ancient fathers described, when one of them calleth the blood of Martyrs the water to water God's garden, an other saith that they increase with cutting down, and other in other manner have expressed the same meaning.  
But now being under a Christian Prince in days of rest (blessed be almighty God, and long preserved be her majesty the instrument of it) as it is not meet that God's Church, after julian the Apostates manner, be persecuted to make it increase, but holden down with good discipline for manners that it grow not wild and run out into wantonness, so is not the Church of the Devil to be maintained and multiplied with indulgence, winking and slackness of correction, but with good severity to be restrained, that it grow not to such rankness to choke the true church in deed. The licentiousness of Papists speech is great, 
Papists dangerously cherished.  they dare do and say they care not what, they have their assemblies and ordinary conferences together, their lewd and seditious books, and such courage as the truer sort of her majesties part are overcrowed, as the good preachers daily complain, and so long I pray God they complain not that God hear them, and be angry that other heard them not. Popish priests, who sometime triumphed that they were so esteemed Popish, and by that mean got those things together, enjoy the great ecclesiastical livings without recantation or penance, yea and in simoniacal heaps: Cathedral Churches are stuffed with them, as dens of thieves: they are in offices: the meaner sort depend upon them, and partly by example, partly by common desire to creep into favour of their superiors, and partly also for that the great ones are loath to have other about them, are perilously infected: the very spies and promoters of Queen Mary's time, without change of their opinion are cherished & mark men against an other day. Mercy may have her excess, and clemency may be great cruelty, when it overfloweth to the good man's danger.  
Yet is not my mind that for men's bare opinions or mistakinges in controversies of religion, 
No cruelty for simple opinions.  being otherwise honest and civil men, & where the same extend not to participation of treason, or to those Articles that imply a dangerous meaning to the state, they should be by-and-by destroyed, but restrained from insolence and licentious spreading of their errors, and with doctrine & examples be reduced, but specially that confidence be reposed in men that be better assured. Such manner of cruelty were to imitate Papists, rather than to correct Papists. Meaner punishments than the pains of treason are metre. Convenient discipline, coming after good teaching, were profitable. But those of them that in time past have been shepebiters, 
Old shepebiters perilous to be kept.  and hitherto show no true repentance, it is likely that they have the common quality of old shepebiters, they will never leave it, and they cannot be kept without danger of the flock and state. Of this may Gardiner and Boner (whom God hath sent from hence, I dare not say taken from hence) be notable examples. Many more there have been and be: and some of those that be, remain not only in her majesties power, but also in her charge.  
The other Conclusions following have great difference from these whereof I have made some explication. Of these yet nothing so large an explication have I made as truth is well and easily able to furnish, neither can I so well make it as the expedience of the cause asketh to give the vantage of eloquence to the goodness of the matter, to help to draw it into credit and effect of well moving. But being as it is, rude and true, great cunning and fineness is the least needful, where those for whom it is most intended are so wise as it is far more easy for naked troth to inform them, than for any gay speech to lead them. This is the diversity of the articles declared, 
Matters of fact not known but 〈…〉.  and of the articles remaining: those that be passed contain matters of fact, doings, manners, and dispositions of men abroad, the certainties and circumstances whereof cannot be understood of any the wisest men in the world by way of contemplation, but must be brought unto them by relation of true and faithful subjects, by common rumour and speech of the honest sort, or some such other mean of intelligence and experience: by reason whereof I have been bolder of things consisting in doing, and tossed in talk abroad, to gather luch a certainty of report of things, for the better considering of danger to her Majesty and the estate, as is in deed the very common and ordinary burden of every honest man's heart to see them, and necessary things to be laid before those that may amend them.  
The other conclusions that follow, wherein I neither have nor will wade so far, are matters of consultation and meditation. The effect thereof, which is the safe preservation of the queens royal Majesty and the realm, the avoiding of dangers that threaten the same, the establishing of assuredness, boldness, courage and freedom of her hyghnesses' most good counsellors and subjects, the taking avantages of opportunities and occasions, the weeding out of deceivers and underminers, the defence of her majesties honour & dignity, the means to answer charge toward God, & namely in dealing with men as they be affectioned to or against God, this effect I say of those other conclusions I know doth continually occupy her Majesty and her most honourable counsellors in thinking on them and providing for them: therefore it shall no further occupy me and other mean subjects than in prayer and readiness to serve as her Majesty and her counsel shall see fit to employ us. I will not therefore in discoursing of them encumber myself and other. It shall suffice me, and so ought it to content all other, to know as we do know, what a wise Prince we have, what good Counsel she hath chosen, how well they have governed, what fruit we have had of it, so as nothing is left to us, but to give thanks, to beware that our own sins give not the occasion of loss and change, to serve dutifully and to pray devoutly.  
Howsoever the nature of Papists hath showed itself, that they are most glozing traitors till they have their advantage, and most cruel torments when they have obtained it: howsoever it be true that though her Majesty heap them with infinity benefits and cherish them with unmeasurable and dangerous clemency, though they creep and crouch, and with their promise of faith which they think bound to keep no faith, speak never so fair, and for the time dissemble their zeal, holding them contented with glorious and false shows of policy to persuade a certain traitorous temper and perilous neutrality (if they repent not their error and change not their Religion) they hate her, they watch their times, they transfer the praises of her good government to those that never deserved it, they be ready to undermine her estate while she liveth, as they did with her brother, and to defame and deface her being dead as they did with her father: howsoever they now hide, or hereafter utter their stomachs: it is on the other side true that though her Majesty should show to Christians in bodily and temporal things great hardness, yet is it so recompensed and overweighed to us in the freedom and joy of our consciences, that we must and will still love her how much more than being our so good, loving and beneficial severaine?  
It is we that depend upon her, it is we that think it shallbe more easy and better for us (even in respect of our worldly life, and benefits, though there were not a greater prospect beyond) to die at her foot in her defence than to overlive her Majesty, the same being expressed by her enemies. Gospelers be they, whom though her majesty can by no means make to cease to love her, yet by overmuch cherishing of Papists, she may make less strong to defend her. Our case is such as her Majesty may be assured of us, 
Only Christians true to the Queen.  that we stand for her, not only as for our Prince, our loving sovereign, our mother, our country, our haviours & possessions, but also for the lives, and (that most is) for the souls of ourselves, our wives, our children & posterity for ever. If any of this part have been seduced by Papists, as perhaps there be, error I hope it is and not malice, And as it is error, so is it meet to be forsaken as error, I mean not only forsaken in pursuing, but also in defending, succouring, pacifying and helping. For let such make their account to find no truth, defence, mercy, nor kindness in Papists, when they get above, howsoever their present turn be served. To late shall they wish for the good Prince, whom their own follies shall have lost. Let them remember the policies of Charles used with Maurice and other for assurance of religion against the confederates of Smalcald. Let them remember the Framingham promises for not altering religion. Let them remember that the very promisers either in deed shall not be able, or will be glad to say they are not able to keep promise with them, or if they would feign keep promise they may hap to be sent after their predecessors. Let them remember the keeping of edicts and word of a king in other places, by mean of persons somewhat allied. Let them remember that themselves shall not dare to challenge such promises, no more than the Crane his reward for pulling the bone out of the wolves throat. Let them remember they shall have to do with such as think not themselves bound to keep faith with them nor any of our side, & can have a dispensation at their pleasure. It is we therefore that pray God to give her Majesty judgement and all timely means of intelligence, to discern her enemies, and courage to use such opportunities of times as God throweth upon her.  
It is we that with thanks to God do acknowledge that God hath so guided the success of this late rebellion, as if he should have said to her majesty, ●oe daughter, all though necessity of mine ordinance, and the disposition of things for my glory (which shallbe in the end also your benefit) be such as there must be a traitorous rebellion in your realm, yet this will I do for you: you shall understand it in time: you shall have the means, whereby they should accomplish their intent, in your own power: you shall make your own match: you shall have the choice to name the parties yourself, that shallbe the leaders and doers of it, even the weakest of credit, wit, and power that you can choose to withstand you: you shall choose the time, when they shall attempt it, the most unseasonable for them, either to proceed in their own doings together, or for having aid to resort to them, either of foreign enemies or domestical traitors: you shall choose the place where you would have it begun, such as lieth best for danger of contagion of other, easiest for yourself to enclose, hardest for your enemies to come to, and nearest bordering upon your best foreign friends: they shall want furniture, yourself shall have abundance: your good and true counsellors shall nobly and truly stand by you: your nobility shallbe provoked to revenge dishonour & slanderous suspicions thrown upon them by the rebels and thereby shall have cause to strive who may best serve you: your good subjects shall every way show their zeal in your service: your poor clergy shall pour out their devout prayer for you and I will hear them: I will guide the success to your victory: your enemies shallbe so snared, as the victory well followed, the treason well examined, the faulty well removed, the root well & clean hewed up, you may sit free from traitors while you live, and your good & true counsellors and subjects may be set in safe ability and encouraged to serve you truly and stand faithfully and boldly by you. See now that you fail not me nor yourself, and neither by missuser, nor nonuser, forsake me, nor lose the benefits that I have so provided for you.  
We therefore acknowledge all these things to have so come to pass, and doubt not that her Majesty will ever with invincible constanty so provide that those most noble Counsellors be maintained to serve God and her without fear, and be so cherished as they may with delight and free carelessness and assuredness of their own estates from peril of revenge or any other assault, bend themselves wholly to study for her highnesses preservation. We pray God to give her Majesty ever the heart to suspect his truth whatsoever he be, (if any ever be as I trust there shall not) that shall practise to abate any credit of these most true counsellors, or shall insinuate or give any advise to stay the true and perfect searching of the bottom of these treasens to forbear the full destruction of the root thereof, or to extenuate her Majesties' peril, and to say to every such a one if any smoke or glimpse of signification may thereunto lead, et tu ex illis es. Thou art also one of them. We confess it is time, and we pray, that all her majesties subjects by oath and all other good means may be assured unto her, and that all titles, all bonds, knots▪ alliances, colours and pretences to her majesties danger may be cut of, what show soever they make, knowing and heartily desiring it may be remembered, that no common law of nations, no title of anointed, or what soever face they set upon it, may be warrant for for any perilous creature, Papist, Bishop, Priest, runaway, gentleman, merchant, or other, man or woman, to be dangerous to her Majesty in her own realm. We know well that a gallon of Rat's bane in an Apothecary's shop will not hurt a man half so much as an ounce in his belly. We are not so mad to have such a fond longing for the flesh pots of Egypt, for marry & marry bones that we would with the rebellious jews desire to return again to the land of Egypt the house of bondage & foreign slavery both of body & soul, to suck them, and that not for lack but for loathing of fine natural and wholesome food. We pray that we may once see every title destroyed, whatsoever it be, either in civil respect or ecclesiastical, that hath or shall any way threaten her majesties danger, that hath or shall any way claim the crounerom from her head, or her power out of her hand, that hath or shall seek any dispossession of her estate and the invasion of her land, 
Roman tyrannies and cruelties.  & specially the titles and lewd hopes of Romish Popes that have by notorious wickedness exceeding the old Roman Emperors showed themselves unmeet to live among Christian people, much less to govern them, that have by murrible and unnatural murders and hoactise of poisoning and other mischiefs showed that themselves and their Papists are not to be won with kindness to be true to the Queen, that could not be holden by nature from slaughter of their own, as by many evident histories appeareth, yea where their treason may be rewarded with a kingdom, yea with the kingdom of heaven: those feigned and wicked titles (we say) of Romish usurpation, that have interrupted the blessed yea●e which we have so long enjoyed, that have drawn into conspiracy, 
Treasons of Papists.  alliance & knots of favour those of whom her Majesty hath well deserved, that hath armed the rebel against lour most good sweet sovereign Lady's life, crown, and dignity, and put weapon in traitors hands to cut true subjects throats, and utterly to destroy the wealth, safety and honour of England.  
We pray that we may see when those that shall wrest or procure to change law, to erect the courage of any dangerous Viper to such ends, or to any aspiring hope of preventing and undermining, under whatsoever colour, name, pretence or show in proclamation or otherwise, or to the safeguard of their persons that have so attempted, may be declared and executed as enemies to this estate, and to the queens safety. We pray that we may see such laws provided for her highnesses preservation, & the same so executed without restraint or slackness for any respect as the hope of Papists, such as be enemies to God, the Queen, and the realm, may if they repent not, be cut of for ever. We pray to live to see that none may have place, office nor access into her majesties court nor household, no nor once to her presence, that shall not be well known to favour both God and her, so far as any circumspection and policy may provide it. We pray God that we may once see the administration, yea and study of law and justice wholly taken from those that shall not be known to favour the law of God, and to acknowledge her majesties right, that is head of law and justice in the realm. We pray God that her Majesty and her Counsel may have such particular knowledge of men that her enemies may be weakened, and her friends strengthened, all avantages used for her safety, all neutral advises suspected for surtle underminings. We trust it will be so, for God hath not drawn these late mischiefs into light for nothing. But afore all things we pray God to send us true repentance, more joyful receiving of his Gospel, and more virtuous ensuing it, lest as we lost our best king with living ill, so we may lose our best Queen with living worse. And that therewith it may please him to direct all the doings of her Majesty and Counsel to proceed in their good advancing his glory and preservation of the state, which without jealous circumspection for preserving the Queen's most royal person can not be done, and that such good means and provisions as God offereth to that end, be not refused or neglected, which were to tempt God, to forsake his cause, to betray our noble Prince, and to give away or rather cast away the realm.  
These be the daily and nightly prayers of good subjects. And while we busy ourselves with these prayers, we do after our principal confidence in Gods goodness, rest ourselves upon the trust of her Majesty and her most honourable Counsel, for whom we praise God, and to them we refer the guiding of us and ours, ready to follow them, when we are commanded with the uttermost of our power and peril, knowing how they spare not their uttermost endeavour and peril, with sustaining the most unpleasant life, God wots, that may be, for our sakes, for our quiet, profit and defence.  
Consider these things ye that have been and have not yet ceased to be such Papists, 
Good counsel to Papists.  remember how in that state ye be neither true Christian men nor true English men, whereby if ye repent not you are not worthy to live in the kingdom of England, and you are sure not to come in the kingdom of Heaven. Let every good thing move you to truth and to your prefitte. Let every evil thing fray you from treason & from eternal undoing. Learn religion of God alone, render your allegiance to your prince alone, live in bond of country with English men alone. Acknowledge how God hath sent his truth to shine upon you, her majesty hath poured all benefits of her good governance among you, her true subjects desire every way both in soul and body to be comfortable to you. Put of only the cankered affection or rather passion of inhumanity. Do but once come home from those articles that can not stand with out treason to the prince and state, bind not yourselves, your souls and faith to the authority of any mortal and sinful man, give ever infinitely to God, resort faithfully to him, pray devoutly to him, to show you his truth by his own word. And so I doubt not but having once forsaken foreign subjections, and being once so far unpapisted that ye may come into the number of true subjects, for the rest God shall accord us, and shall reveal unto you sincerity of all truth in time, and in such time as shall be the greatest comfort that ever you felt in your lives. And so yet till other errors be purged by God's grace working by the hearing of his word, we shall all go under the gentle yoke of our natural sovereign, there let us draw lovingly together, and then say and sing merrily God speed the plough of England. Amen.  
¶ God save our Queen Elizabeth, and confound her enemies.   

¶ Imprinted at London by john day, dwelling over Aldersgate.  
These Books are to be sold in Paul's churchyard at the sign of the Crane.